Voodoo Jalapeño Poppers

We've had a bumper crop of jalapeño peppers from the garden this year, and that means POPPERS! Autumn is chile season, though jalapeños are readily available at the grocery store year round. The flavor buzz from these was well worth the effort of seeding all those little suckers, but do wear gloves! The warm bite of jalapeño with smoky paprika in the cheese and the Voodoo sprinkle on top of these poppers goes down well chased by a rich porter. Enjoy a whole platter by yourself while you watch the game like we did, or serve them up at your next fall fête.

Spiced Monkey Bread

1 hr

Monkey bread is most often sweet, and served with a drizzle of syrupy glaze. Here we decided to give it a twist and make monkey bread that is salty, crunchy and savory.  The soft, chewy rolls of dough are piled high and baked in a Bundt pan. To eat them you pick the pieces apart like a monkey! It's fun to eat and a festive addition to a potluck or holiday table. Serve the monkey bread with a sauce like sour cream, butter, marinara or olive oil. A small ramekin perfectly fits in the middle.

Game Day Brisket Sliders

Nothing welcomes fall quite like a slow cooked brisket, and nothing says game-day quite like sliders! Brisket sliders combine the two and dish up an eye-catching platter of food that's sure to please the crowd. It's quick to make and simple to serve, too, so you can spend your time cheering on the team. For this round, we teamed up our Tarheel BBQ Rub with grilled onions, mustard and a pickle, the ideal trifecta of condiments for anything on a mini-bun. But this recipe was so fun to make, we are already planning out the season with more flavors like Harissa, Sassy Steak Spice and Kofte Spice. The genius of this recipe is how easy it is to make a whole mess of sliders. Simply cook the brisket a day ahead. Once you get it into the slow-cooker it is very hands off. Then, when you are ready for kick-off, just slice open a package of rolls and assemble the sliders as one big unit. You can even serve them pull-apart style, right from the pan.

Harissa Spiced Pecans

We never tire of whipping up different spiced nut combinations. Salty or sweet, hot or mild, there are endless combinations to try. Harissa Spiced Pecans are especially addictive, though, because they have it all: mild chile and smoky, savory spice, balanced perfectly with just enough brown sugar. These give a crunchy flavor punch to everything from garden salads to a pre-game cheese ball. But really, the best way to enjoy them is straight out of the oven.This recipe is easy to make and not too sweet. Spiced nuts are a welcome treat for last minute gatherings or entertaining.